Stock feeder



Feb. 3. 1925.

J. R. LINN STOCK FEEDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 20, 1924 Patented Feb, .3, 1925,

STATE PATENT jGFFIE."

JOHN It. LINN, or WAKONDA, SOUTH DAKOTA,

STOCK FEEDER.

Application filed February 20, 1924.

.a container may be-s'upported in position to be filled and then inverted and, when in its inverted' position, permit the feed to flow automatically to a feeding trough or pan. A further object of the invention is to provide a stock-feeding device which may be easily cleaned when necessary and which is not apt to get out of order. These stated objects, and other objects which will incidentally appear in the course of the following description, are attained in such an apparatus as is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Y

Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved device with the container yin the filling position;

Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the container inverted and prior to being'lowered to permit access of the stock to the feed;

Fig. 3 is a diametrical section through the apparatus, and

Fig. l is a side elevation with the container in the lowered position and viewing the apparatus at a right angle to the viewpoint in Figs. 1 and 2.

In carrying'out my invention, I employ a feeding pan or trough 1 which may be of any desired dimensions or form and is preferably circular and provided with a flaring rim, as shown clearly in the drawings. Disposed upon a diameter of this pan or trough and rising from the bottom of the same are spaced standards 2 which are provided in their upper portions with longitudinal slots 3, and upon one wall of each slot is a rack bar 4. Disposed between these standard is a container 5 which is preferably cylindrical having one end, 6, closed and having its opposite end open, as shown. In the annular The primary object of my Serial No. 694,063.

wall of the container at or adjacent the open end thereof, I form a series of notches or openings 7 which extend entirely around the container and constitute outlets for the feed placed therein. I also employ a cover 8 which vis substantially conical and is so disposed upon the container that its apex extends into the same, the said cover being provided with a rim or ange 9 adapted to lit closely around the outer surface of the container and terminate adjacent the outlets 7. To secure the cover in place upon the container, any preferred means may be employed and I have illustrated hooks 10 mounted upon the rim 9 of the cover and adapted to engage pins or studs 11 upon the container.v Extending diametrically `through the container, preferably midway the ends thereof, is a tube or hollow shaft 12 having its ends projecting beyond the sides of the container, and through the said hollow shaft a rock shaft 13 is rotatably fit-ted. The ends of the rock shaft 13 eX- tend through the slots 3 in the Vstandards 2 and areA equipped with pinions 14 which mesh with the respective racks 4, as shown and as will be understood. One end of the shaft 13 is equipped with a crank or other suitable handle 15 and any convenient locking means, such as a hook 16, may be mounted upon the adjacent standard 2 to be engaged with the said handle so as to prevent rotation of the same and of the shaft when the container is to be supported in its raised position.

The co-nstruction and arrangement of the several parts of the device having been thus made known, it is thought the. operation and advantages of the same will be readily understood and appreciated. When the device is in use, the container is lowered, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and the feed will, of course, gravitate onto the cover 8 and will be defleet-ed thereby through the several openings 7. Inasmuch as the upper end of the container is closed, a partial vacuum will be created between the same and the top of the feed and, therefore, the flow of feed through the openings 7 will be arrested when the level of the feed in the pan or trough around the container reaches the upper limits of the outlet openings 7. As the feed is consumed and is diminished so as to uncover the openings, additional feed may pass through the uncovered outlets so as to maintain a constant supply in the pan or trough but excessive iiovi of the feed will be lautoinatically prevented so that waste of the same will be avcided. 'When the supply of feed has been exhausted and the container is to be refilled, the handle 15 is manipulated to inipart rotation to the shaft 13 and the pinions 14 thereby caused to ride vupwardly upon the racks l, lifting the container 'rom the posit-ion shownv in Figs. 3 and il' to that shown in Fig. Q. curedlagaiiist movement by engagement with the locking device 16, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the container' is then swung around the shaft 13 so as to bring its open end rto the top, as shown in Fig. 1. The cover may then be removed and the supplyof feed replenished, afperformance of the described operations in reverse ordei returning the container to the Working position shown in Figs. 3 and et. The device is obviously simplein the construction and arrangement of its parts and may, therefore, be produced l rl`he lonjgitudinally extending slots in the supporting and maintained at a vvery loW costz standards permit the shaft 13 carrying the container to beeasily raised and lowered,

and the sidewalls of the said slots constitute guides and keepers to prevent the shaft with the container thereon falling from the standards. The supply of feedI in the container is not directly accessible to the feeding animals so that contamination of the same and Waste thereof is positively prevented While an ample supply for proper feeding will be permitted to 'flow into the pan and maintain the same practically constant.

Having thus described the invention, I claim: y

' 1. A stock-feeding device comprising feeding trough, supports rising from the trough, a container having one open end and provided at said end with outlet openings tliroi'igh itsivall, a removable cover for said end',z and means for mounting the container 1"'iupon the' supports -for Vertical and rotary The handle 15 may then be semovement whereby the container may be held in an elevated position to be filled and inverted and lowered to dispose the outlet openings adjacent the bottom of the feeding pan.

2. A stock-feeding device comprising a panhaving anupwardly extending rii'n, supports rising fron the bottom of the pan, and a container 'having one closed end and one open end mounted upon the supports for ver' tic-al and rotary movement whereby the open end of the container may be disposed uppermost to permit filling ofthe container and the container inverted and lowered to bring'said end to the'bottom of ythe'pa'ng,"t'he container being provided 'around Vits open end with passages for the flow of feedinto the pan.

3. fr stock-feeding device comprising a feeding pan, a pair of spaced standards Vrising from the pan, acontainerdisposed' between said standards and having v.one 'closed endand oneopen end,a conical coveiiittting over the open end' of the container ivithits apex extending into the' container,tlie container being providedfwith outletiopen'ings around said tend, andmeans` for mounting the container upon the standards' for rotatable movement whereby it Vmay be inverted.

4. A stoclefee'ding devicecomprising a feeding pan, spacedstandards rising from the pan and' iprovided vin their 1upperiportions With longitudinal slots, rack bars extending longitudinally of the slots, a4 container disposed between the standards 4aindy provided betweenits endsI With ai'holloivv shaft, ai supporting shaft extending through' said hollow shaft and having its ends disposedwithin `the slots 'in the supportingA standards pinions on said shaft meshing with the racks on the standards, means for rotating'said shaft, and means forv locking theffshaft a gainst rotation.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN RQIJ'INN. i [Lts] 

